Labradorite: The Powers And Meaning Of This Gemstone

The Inuit say the northern lights were once held prisoner in the rocks of Labrador. One day, a man broke these rocks to free the celestial lights: some rose back to the sky, others remained on the ground, in the form of stones.

This is how the legend of labradorite begins: a gemstone of shifting colors, said to protect those who absorb other people’s emotions.

✦

The Canadian origins of labradorite

The name of this stone is linked to its region of origin: it was discovered around 1770 in Labrador, Canada, and its suffix comes from the ancient Greek itês, meaning mineral. A mineral of the silicate group, it is found in Canada, but also in the United States, Finland, France, Madagascar, Russia and Ukraine.

Its use, however, is much older than its discovery by Europeans: about a thousand years ago, Native Americans were already shaping objects from it, which have been found in Maine.

✦

Labradorescence: the northern lights in a stone

What makes labradorite unique is its play of light. Dull at one angle, it suddenly blazes blue, green or gold when you turn it: light reflects off the thin layers that make up the stone. The effect is so characteristic that it bears the stone’s name, labradorescence, and it recalls, uncannily, the Inuit legend of the northern lights.

In Finland, a variety with especially vivid colors is mined, spectrolite, discovered in the 1940s. No two labradorites look alike: each stone has its own flashes and is often chosen at first sight.

✦

Properties of labradorite in crystal healing

Labradorite is said to work as mental protection: it clears the mind and helps restore emotional balance. Worn on the body, it captures and absorbs negative waves, helps reduce stress and shields you from other people’s distress. It is therefore well suited to those living with hyper-empathy. Discover the properties of each gemstone.

A stone prized by energy healers and dowsers

Associated with the chakras of the hands, labradorite is prized by energy healers: it is said to restore harmony and amplify their ability to channel energy. It is also a stone to use if you practice dowsing, the art of the divining pendulum, as it heightens sensitivity to telluric emanations.

How to wear it

It is often worn as a pendant, at the level of the solar plexus, to screen out emotions that are not yours. As a bracelet or in a pocket, it accompanies the days when you meet many people.

⚠️ The virtues attributed to stones come from traditions and beliefs. They are not a treatment and do not replace medical advice.

✦

How to cleanse and recharge labradorite

• Cleanse it often: it captures bad waves and fills up quickly. Immerse it for several hours in demineralized water.
• Recharge it in the sun or natural light, or on a quartz cluster.
• After a busy day full of encounters or emotions, cleanse it before wearing it again.

You now know the secrets of labradorite, but don’t stop there: garnet, carnelian or aventurine also have their share of mysteries to reveal.

✦ ✦